Carrying out a test

You can take most pregnancy tests from the first day of your missed period. Tests carried out earlier than this are not always accurate. For more information, see How soon can I do a pregnancy test?

Check the instructions to make sure you can do the test at any time of day. It's usually best to take the test first thing in the morning as your urine will have the highest concentration of hormones at this time.

Avoid drinking too much fluid beforehand, as this can dilute the level of HCG in your urine.

Positive test results

If the test result is positive, you're almost certainly pregnant. Contact your GP surgery as soon as possible. Because home pregnancy tests are so accurate, your GP may not repeat the test.

If you want to continue with your pregnancy, it's a good idea to start your antenatal care as soon as possible. If you're not sure whether you want to continue with the pregnancy, you can find more information about your options here: Am I pregnant?

Negative test results

If the test result is negative, you may not be pregnant. However, negative results are less reliable. For example, if you do a pregnancy test too early, you could be pregnant, but there may not be enough HCG in your body to give a positive test result.

Pregnancy tests vary in their sensitivity (how soon they can detect HCG and what level of HCG needs to be present). You can find information on the packaging about how sensitive your test is.

If you still think you're pregnant after a negative result, wait a few days and try again. Speak to your GP if you get a negative result after a second test but your period hasn't arrived.